Copper top: Rotunda gleams for graduation

Copper top: The Rotunda dome gleams like a new penny in the morning light two days before final exercises.

Final exercises at University of Virginia took place on the Lawn last weekend, May 18 and 19, and while much was made of tradition, something was different: the dome of the Rotunda was copper colored – instead of the traditional white – for the ceremonies. Heavy rain earlier in the month derailed plans to paint the dome before graduation, ensuring that students and their families had the rare opportunity to view the Rotunda as it was during the early twentieth century when architect Stanford White redesigned it with a copper roof in 1898.